Paper-holding structure.



No. 693,703 Patented' Feb. la, |902.

u. HILLMAN.

PAPER HOLDING STRUCTURE.

[Application led Maya: 1901.)

(No Model.)

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llNTTEn dTaTEs PATENT OEEICE.

ULYSSES G. HILLMAN, OF lVOODSTOVN, NEV JERSEY..

PAPER-HOLDING STRUCTURE,

SPEGXFBLGATXON forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,708, datedFebruary 18, 1902.

Application sled May s, 1901.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern."

Be it known that LULYSSES G. HILLMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Voodstown, Salem county, New Jersey, have inventedcertain Improvements in Paper-Holding Structures, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to that class of structures designed for thepurpose of holding papers, bills, checks, notes, and the like; and itconsists of an improved cabinet particularly adapted for use bybank-clerks handling large numbers of checks and other pa` pers or forother-persons handling series of paper memorandu ms, bills, the.

My improved cabinet comprises fixed tension devices for holding down apile of checks, bills, or other papers and mechanically-operated ngersfor holding down such papers after they have been transferred from theiroriginal position.

My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inWhich- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the cabinetforming thesubjectof my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of thesame, taken on the line ct d, Fig. et. Fig. 3 is a similar sectionalview showing the operating mechanism in a different position; and Fig. 4is a plan view of the structure, partly in section, taken on the line bb, Fig. 2.

The structure forming the subject of my invention consists of the casingl, having a front extension-base 2, at the front of which base anextension-plate 3 is arranged. This plate 3 may be so constructed as tobe adjustable from and toward the base extension 2.

Carried by the base extension 2 are the spring-clips 1, maintained in afixed position and serving to hold down a pile of checks, bills, orother paper memoranda. Carried by arms 5, pivoted at 6 Within the casing1, is a depressible shelf or platform 7, arranged directly above thebase extension 2. This shelf or platform is adapted to receive thechecks or other paper memoranda after they have been removed from thepile held down by the spring-elipse. Contacting with the shelf 7 is aseries of fingers 8, which serve to hold upon said shelf any paper laidthereon. These fingers are raised by mechanism located within thecasing, such mechanism being oper- Serial No. 58,669. (No model.)

ated by the depression of the shelf 7. The arms 5, supporting the shelf7, are joined at the rear, and pivoted to said arms at this point is alink 9, which is connected to one end of a lever 10, pivoted at 11Within the casing 1. The fingers S are carried by bell-crank levers l2,one end of each of which is secured to a shaft or cross-bar 13, whichlatter is carried by brackets' 11 within the casing 1, the other ends ofsaid bell-crank levers being oonnected by means of a cross-bar 15, withwhich the opposite end of the lever 10 is connected by alink 16. Tomaintain the fingers 8 in their normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and2, a spring 17 is employed, the upper end being secured tothe top of thecasing, while the lower end is hooked around the cross-bar 15.

VBy pressing down on the shelf 7 the bell-crank levers 12 will be turnedby the lever 10 and its connections through the medium of' the arms 5,and the fingers S will be raised, permitting the placing of any paperupon said shelf. As soon as the shelf is released the fingers willcontact therewith, and they will be held in that position by means ofthe spring 17.

The means just described provide for the handling of the checks from theextensionplate 3, where they are held down by the fixed spring-clips4,to the depressible shelf 7, Where such checks are held down by thefingers 8, controlled by said shelf 7. After a number of checks or otherpapers have been sorted and placed upon the shelf 7 and it is desired todispose of a pile of the same, so that said shelf may be free to receiveanother pile, I provide the holding device secured to the top of thecasing 1. This structure comprises the end frames 18 made of springmetal, secured to the top of the casing at 19, which end frames have thecross-bars 20, soldered to the end pieces at 2l. This structure providestwo holdingplaces for the checks or papers, and being made of springmetal a large number of checks or other papers may be held by the same.

At the point Where the fingers 8 contact with the shelf 7 I prefer toinset small pieces of rubber, cork, or other suitable material 22, sothat no noise will be occasioned by the striking of said fingers againstthe shelf when the latter is released.

IOO

Although I have shown and described herewith special mechanism foroperating the fingers 8 by the depression of the shelf 7, I do not wishto limit myself to this precise construction, as any suitable means maybe employed that will insure the rise and rearward movement of saidfingers 8 upon the depression of the shelf 7.

The structure which I have devised may be used in the following manner:A bankclerk, for instance, wishes to take down the memoranda from thefaces of a series of checks. He takes a pile of s uch checks and placesthem upon the extension-plate 3,where they will be held down by thespring-clips 4. As fast as he has noted the matter desired from the faceof the check he can remove the same from the clips 4 by one hand, andplacing this same-hand with'the check in it upon the shelf 7 said checkwill lie partly across the fingers 8. Now by pressing down upon saidshelf the said fingers will be raised, permitting the check to lie flat,and when the hand is removed to release the shelf the latter will riseand the fingers will move forward and contact with and hold the checkthereon. This operation is done entirely with one hand, leaving theother hand free to use memoranda pads, books, pen or pencil, the.,

vor other means to receive the matter transcribed from the face of thechecks or other papers. The operation may be repeated until the shelf 7is so low that its downward movement will not be sufficient to raise thefingers 8.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patentl. The combination in a structure of the characterdescribed, of the casing, an extended base carried thereby, a frontextension carried by said base adapted to receive a pile of papers, adepressible shelf carried by the casing and serving also to receive thepapers, fingers for holding such papers to the shelf, and means locatedwithin the' casing for raising said fingers when said shelf isdepressed.

2. The combination in a structure of the character described, of acasing, a depressible sesgos shelf carried thereby, holding membersnormally in contact with said shelf, mechanism within the' casing forraising said holding members when the shelf is depressed, and anextension carried by said casin g providing for the reception of papers.4

3. The combination in a structure of the character described, of thecasing, a depressible shelf carried by said casing, arms carrying saidshelf pivoted within the casing, fingers coacting with said shelf,supports for said fingers pivotally mounted in the structure, means forholding the fingers in contact with the shelf, and a connection betweenthe shelfsupporting arms and the finger supports wherebysaid fingersw-ill be raised as the shelf is depressed.

4. The combination in a structure of the character described, of thecasing, a depressible shelf carried thereby, arms pivoted within thecasing and supporting said shelf, a series of lingers coacting with saidshelf and normally held in contact with the same, bellcrank leverspivotally mounted within the casing and carrying said fingers, means forsup porting said bell-crank levers whereby the shelf'and fingers will bemaintained in contact with cach other, and a lever connecting theshelf-supporting arms and said bell-crank levers vwhereby the fingerswill be raised as the shelf is depressed.

5. The combination in a structure of the character described, of thebase or other suitable support, a depressible shelf carried thereby,said shelf being pivoted at one end to the base, movable fingers alsopivoted to the base and contacting with the shelf, said fingers beingprovided near the pivot-point of the shelf, and a connection betweensaid shelf and the fingers whereby the latter will be moved up and awayfrom the shelf when said shelf is depressed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

Y ULYSSES G. HILLMAN.-

Witnesses:

WM. Z. FLITCRAFT, MISSOURI Il. HILLMAN.

